Two groups have put forward their proposals for how they want to use the space

Two community groups have submitted their bids for a plot of land in Northstowe that has been dedicated to faith and the community. The public has been asked to share its feedback on the two groups’ proposals, which have outlined the services and benefits their projects would bring to the area.

The 0.25 acre piece of land can be found next to Stirling Road and is the first of four areas that have been allocated to faith and community groups to build their own facility. In the future, there will be more land or floorspace available in the town centre in phase two of the project and two more opportunities in phase three.

The bids are led by Hindu Samaj Northstowe and Northstowe Church Network. Both submissions include information about how the groups will collaborate with other faith groups in Northstowe and what the space will offer to the whole community as well as being a dedicated space to worship.

Cllr Henry Batchelor, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “Now that the bids are in, it’s important that residents share their views. Public input has always been at the heart of our approach, and this next stage ensures that feedback from the public can be taken into account. This is an exciting moment for Northstowe as we move closer to creating a shared space that will help bring people together within a facility that supports connection, wellbeing and a thriving, inclusive Northstowe. We look forward to it playing a meaningful role in the life of our growing town.”

Bids were assessed against criteria that was made available to the bidders at the start of the process. The groups have had support with their applications from Council officers both before and throughout the year-long bidding window.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Cabinet will review the information before deciding who to award the land to at the meeting in June this year. The land, which is currently owned by the Northstowe phase one developers Ubran&Civic will be transferred to the Council.

The Council intends to grant a 999-year leasehold to the chosen group. The bidder will commit to delivering the agreed policies and project milestones, which is a requirement of the leasehold agreement.

One of Northstowe’s District Councillors, Cllr Tom Bygott, said: “Northstowe is evolving into a fully‑rounded town, and faith‑led and community facilities have long provided the backbone of civic cohesion. I strongly encourage residents to share their views. It’s encouraging to see plans progressing for a facility that will serve not just worshippers, but also the wider community.”

Cllr Natalie Warren-Green, also a District Councillor for Northstowe, added: “It’s great to see the project reach this important milestone with two bids which are being assessed. This next phase will help determine which proposal is best placed to support Northstowe as it continues to grow. It’s an exciting step forward and moves us closer to creating facilities that will strengthen and benefit our community for years to come.”

The public has now been asked to share its opinions on the two proposals. Both of the proposals can be found here with a space dedicated to share feedback on them, which will be available until Monday, April 27.

Voters in Coulby Newham can have their say on the ward’s neighbourhood plan in a referendum on Thursday, March 19. 

Under existing legislation, parish councils and “designated neighbourhood forums” can prepare neighbourhood plans, which can have an impact on planning policies and therefore development of the land.

If approved, the neighbourhood plan will play a part when it comes to determining the future of the ward, with specific considerations including parks and green spaces, heritage assets, and public transport.

Also accounted for within the neighbourhood plan are health services, as well as key buildings. The document is said to provide opportunities for new facilities and services which could “enhance the quality of life” for residents.

The questions that voters will have to answer says: “Do you want Middlesbrough Borough Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Coulby Newham to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

If more than 50 per cent of residents agree to the plans, then a future report will bring the matter to full council so that it can become part of the statutory development plan for the area, against which future planning applications will be determined.

Turnout is expected to be low, as is the norm in these small-scale referendums.

The last vote on a neighbourhood plan in Middlesbrough took place in Stainton & Thornton in 2022, where turnout was only 18 per cent. The plan was overwhelmingly backed by residents, with more than 95 per cent of those who voted wanting to see their neighbourhood plan used to help in making decisions on planning applications.

The previous year, Marton West had a similar vote, with an even lower turnout – less than one in six eligible voters had their say. Regardless, the neighbourhood plan was overwhelmingly favoured by those who did turn out.

In Coulby Newham, there will be four polling stations open on Thursday, where more than 6,000 residents will have the opportunity to put a cross in a box.

The stations are located at Sunnyside Academy, Langdon Square Community Centre, Lingfield Ash Meeting Hall, and Rose Wood Academy.

Voters should check their polling card to see which station they should attend.

Polling stations will be open between 7am and 10pm, with the count happening shortly after polls close – a result is expected late on Thursday night.

Leading members of Nato have dismissed Donald Trump’s demands for assistance in the war against Iran, with Germany insisting that the conflict has “nothing to do” with the military bloc.

Mr Trump had called on allies to help the US police the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded by Iranian forces in response to the intense US-Israeli bombardment that began on 28 February.

“It is not Nato’s war,” said a spokesman for German chancellor Friedrich Merz. “Nato is an alliance to defend the alliance area. The United States did not consult us before this war, and so we believe this is not a matter for Nato or the German government.”

Sir Keir Starmer also went on the record to warn that Britain “will not be drawn into the wider war”.

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He refused to commit to sending in warships to help allow oil tankers to pass through the strategic waterway, even after a former Downing street adviser warned that he may need to consider “fuel rationing” if supplies dry up.

Sir Keir said: “Ultimately, we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability on the market. That is not a simple task. There have been discussions going on in relation to a viable plan.

“We want to make sure that that involves as many partners as possible, that’s been our stated directive here, particularly talking to European partners, inevitably talking to Gulf partners and to the US, because we need a credible, viable plan, if we can.”

Responding to Sir Keir’s reluctance to get involved, President Trump said he was “not happy” and “very surprised”, adding: “They should be involved enthusiastically.”

The ongoing war of words came as a senior Labour source, who is a regular part of the security discussions in relation to Iran and Ukraine, told The Independent that the feedback coming to the government from Republican allies as well as Democrats is one of “deep despair at the erratic behaviour of the president” with a number of allies “questioning his judgement”.

Mr Trump has warned that Nato faced a “very bad future” if member states did not use their navies to support the US in the Strait of Hormuz, as Iranian forces use drones, missiles and mines to prevent fuel tankers from transporting a fifth of global oil supply.

Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius dismissed the American request.

“What does (…) Donald Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful US navy cannot do?” he said, downplaying warnings by the president that failing to come to Washington’s aid could have consequences for the Nato alliance.

Meanwhile, Italian ​foreign minister Antonio Tajani said diplomacy was the ⁠right way to solve the crisis in the strait and that there ⁠were no ​naval missions Italy ⁠is involved in that could be ⁠extended to the area.

“As ​far ⁠as Hormuz is ‌concerned I believe diplomacy needs to prevail,” he ‌told reporters on ‌the sidelines of a meeting in Brussels.

Italy is involved ⁠in defensive naval missions in the Red Sea, “but I don’t see any missions that can be extended to Hormuz,” he added.

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Meanwhile, UK work and pensions minister Pat McFadden warned: “It is not a Nato war, it is a US-Israeli action. The articles of association of Nato are that it is a defensive alliance.”

Some allies, however, did signal a cautious willingness to assist the US.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said the bloc is looking to unblock the passage by discussing with the United Nations a similar deal to the one which allows for grain to be exported from Ukraine despite the war with Russia.

Ms Kallas said the EU is also discussing whether it could change the mandate of its Middle East naval mission, Aspides, which currently protects ships in the Red Sea from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group, to include the Strait of Hormuz.

Denmark, a country which has clashed repeatedly with Mr Trump over his demands that it cede Greenland, said that even if the EU does not agree with the war, it should consider helping to reopen the strait.

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“Even if we don’t like what’s going on, I think it’s wise to keep an open mind on whether Europe… in some way can contribute, but with a view towards de-escalation,” said Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

The war, which is now in its 17th day, has caused the price of oil to surge to one of the highest rates since July 2022, peaking at $104 (£78) per barrel on Monday as fuel costs continue to soar.

The conflict shows no signs of abating. The Israeli military has claimed that it still has thousands of targets to hit across Iran, with new ones identified every day.

“We have a precise plan. We still have thousands of targets in Iran, and we are identifying new targets every day,” military spokesman Brig Gen Effie Defrin said in a televised briefing.

It also expanded its operations in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah on Monday.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister has warned the US it faces another Vietnam if it puts boots on the ground in the war.

Saeed Khatibzadeh, speaking in his office in Tehran, told me that Iran was willing to fight as long as needed and the country was not currently focused on a diplomatic solution.

The deputy FM was not ruling out negotiations but made it clear it was for America, and its allies, to come forward with a proposal that ends the conflict once and for all.

But, when asked about the possibility of US troops on the ground, his message for Donald Trump was clear: “Just read what happened in Vietnam.”

Iran war latest: Trump threatens NATO

American soldiers, he said, could face a similar fate in Iran: “They understand those that dragged them into this war can drag them also into a quagmire.”

His defiance comes after two weeks of devastating conflict that has left nearly 1,500 Iranians killed in the war with the US and Israel and millions of Iranians displaced.

It has also claimed nearly 1,000 non-Iranian lives. This includes at least 886 people killed in Lebanon, 30 in Iraq, seven in the United Arab Emirates, six in Kuwait, 12 in Israel, four in Syria, two in Oman, two in Saudi Arabia, and two in Bahrain.

Thirteen US service members have also died, as well as one French soldier.

Watch Sky News’ full interview with Iran’s deputy foreign minister

Mr Khatibzadeh also blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for dragging the US into the war.

“They should think twice when dealing with Iran and not take advice by those who don’t know Iran, who wanted for decades to win a war against Iran with American taxpayers and American soldiers’ blood.

“Netanyahu and the Israeli regime has its own agenda to make this war a win for them at the expense of everyone.”

As for the health of Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the deputy foreign minister insisted he was “healthy and in charge” despite him not making a public appearance yet.

Ben Needham was aged 21 months when he disappeared on the Greek island of Kos in 1991

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The mother of a boy who went missing in 1991 is anxiously waiting for a DNA test on a man who could be him. Ben Needham from Sheffield, disappeared on the Greek island of Kos on July 24, 1991, aged 21 months.

Now over 20 years later, Kerry Needham has seen his photos which bear an ‘uncanny’ resemblance to her family. According to the Mirror, she says the images sent to her also look like her missing son’s age progression image.

His family, including Kerry’s parents and two brothers, had moved to Kos before he went missing to start a new life.

Despite one of the longest missing person investigations in British history – including two excavations at the farmhouse where he was last seen – his whereabouts remain unknown. Recently police in the US have been investigating claims of a sighting, amid claims he could have been illegally adopted but their investigation had stalled.

Illegal adoption in the US during the 1980s and 1990s has been connected to international child trafficking scandals. Private adoption agencies and lawyers often bypassed regulations, matching stolen children with American parents.

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Now Kerry has been contacted by a woman claiming her boyfriend could be one of those illegally adopted children. She wrote to Kerry, saying her adopted boyfriend ‘looks exactly like this future drawing’ and explained he was ‘supposedly adopted in 1993’.

“He has always had questions about his adoption and his adopted parents.” She claimed they wouldn’t give him his birth certificate and acted “insane” when he asked.

“I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, especially Kerry’s, but I feel like he is Ben. He is really hoping so as well… There are too many coincidences to ignore this.”

Reacting to the development, Kerry said: “This is another mystery email from a similar area and sounds pretty genuine. This man was adopted. I’m not going to sit here and get my hopes up but there are similarities. There are things not quite right about it, it can’t be ignored. It probably isn’t Ben but this is again out of the blue and again it’s America.

“More and more lately there have been some bizarre links with the US. He has agreed to have his DNA taken but doesn’t want any publicity.”

Now Kerry may be facing weeks of waiting for Interpol to arrange the DNA test.

“The next step is to hopefully obtain a DNA sample through a request via Interpol. This process can take time, but we are grateful that things are now moving forward again and that there is still a path towards getting the answers we’ve all been hoping for.

“Out of respect for his privacy and well-being, we won’t be sharing any personal details about him. What matters most is making sure he feels supported and protected throughout this process.

“We want him to know that he is not alone in this. We will continue to do everything we can to support him and help guide this process in the most respectful and careful way possible.

“Thank you to everyone who continues to follow, care, and offer support to our family. We’ve been here many times before. It’s an anxious time, you are on edge, waiting.

“We have been down this road before and I feel for the person in question as they have not been down this road before. He must be nervous.”

Kerry urges anyone to take a look at Ben’s website and the photos to see if they can help put an end to her nightmare, which began 35 years ago in July..

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